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Coupeville Library bond passing by thin margin

Coupeville Library supporters will be watching the vote count closely in coming days to see if a bond to fund an expansion of the library will pass.

According to a count released by the Island County Auditor’s Office Wednesday night, the $2.3 million bond was passing by 60.33 percent, with 2,020 people voting for it and 1,328 people voting against it. That margin is three-tenths of one percent more than the 60 percent supermajority required for capital bonds to be approved.

“We’re cautiously optimistic at this point,” said Leslie Franzen, managing librarian at the Coupeville Public Library. “We’re watching this everyday.”

According to a count Thursday night, the percentage the bond was passing edged slightly higher to 60.54 percent.

If approved, the bond would pay for a project that would basically double the size of the Coupeville branch of Sno-Isle Libraries located on Alexander Street.

Voters on Central Whidbey Island had two measures to consider during the Aug. 19 primary election. The first one would be to form a capital facilities service area, which is the same as the boundaries of the Coupeville School District, and the second one was the bond. The service area proposal needed a simple, 50 percent majority to pass. According to Wednesday’s count, it is passing with 63.95 percent of the voters approving it.

Franzen said she hasn’t given much thought to what would happen should the bond not be approved. She said she and the volunteers working to promote the bond were more concerned about getting information out to the community.

The Island County Auditor’s Office is scheduled to release an updated vote count at approximately 9 p.m. Aug. 21. There are about 6,000 votes countywide left to count. For the latest information visit www.whid

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